The present invention relates generally to skin care and cosmetic compositions therefore, and more particularly to systems of complementary skin care products designed specifically for children.
Skin damage accumulates over a lifetime, beginning during infancy and building over childhood and adulthood until the cumulative effects result in serious diseases and disorders like skin cancer and/or serious aesthetic and functional damage to the skin. The main effect of sun damage and neglect, other than hyper-pigmentation and cancer, is to seriously degrade a person's appearance over time. Ultraviolet radiation is a proven human carcinogen and about 86 percent of melanomas can be attributed to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Melanoma accounts for the vast majority of skin cancer deaths and one in fifty men and women will be diagnosed with melanoma of the skin during their lifetime. Of the seven most common cancers in the US, melanoma is the only one whose incidence is increasing. Between 2000 and 2009, incidence climbed 1.9 percent annually.
Children's skin differs from that of adults and changes over the course of childhood. Infant skin is softer and more prone to irritation and loss of moisture, while older children are prone to acne. It is difficult to get children to follow personal care regimens. Children may not like the appearance, smell, etc. of adult products, which also may not be properly formulated for children and can be harmful to them. Children may lack the motor skill or motivation to follow more complex or time-consuming care regimens.
However, sustaining five or more sunburns in youth increases lifetime melanoma risk by 80 percent. Pediatric melanoma increased by an average of two percent per year from 1973 to 2009 and diagnosis and treatment is delayed in up to 40 percent of childhood melanoma cases. Skin cancer rates for teens and young adults have skyrocketed between 1970 and 2009, increasing four-fold for young men and eight-fold for young women. However, regular daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing melanoma by 50 percent.
Needs exist for improved skin care formulations, systems, and methods, particularly for children.